Preview — The Bad Child's Book of Beasts
by Hilaire Belloc

The Bad Child's Book of Beasts (Illustrated Edition)

Joseph Hilaire Pierre Rene Belloc (1870-1953) was one of the most prolific writers in England during the early twentieth century. His best travel writing has secured a permanent following. The Path to Rome (1902), an account of a walking pilgrimage he made from central France across the Alps and down to Rome, has remained continuously in print. More than a mere travelogue,

Joseph Hilaire Pierre Rene Belloc (1870-1953) was one of the most prolific writers in England during the early twentieth century. His best travel writing has secured a permanent following. The Path to Rome (1902), an account of a walking pilgrimage he made from central France across the Alps and down to Rome, has remained continuously in print. More than a mere travelogue, The Path to Rome contains descriptions of the people and places he encountered, his drawings in pencil and in ink of the route, humour, poesy, and the reflections of a large mind turned to the events of his time as he marches along his solitary way. At every turn, Belloc shows himself to be profoundly in love with Europe and with the Faith that he claims has produced it. Two of his best known non-fiction works are The Servile State (1912) and Europe and Faith (1920). Among his other works are: Avril: Being Essays on the Poetry of the French Renaissance (1904), The Historic Thames (1907), On Nothing and Kindred Subjects (1908), Hills and the Sea (1913), A General Sketch of the European War (1915), and The Free Press (1917).

I was given the Dover paperback of this when I was about nine. I didn't really have an emotion about the book but I did love the line drawings. Dover, at that time, printed mostly facsimiles of first editions. I would place the original printing anywhere between 1899 and 1930. Certainly Belloc lived long enough to enrage a lot of literary snobs when he declared P. G. Wodehouse to be the greatest living writer in the English language, but Wodehouse wrote (and lived) for so long that I can imagineI was given the Dover paperback of this when I was about nine. I didn't really have an emotion about the book but I did love the line drawings. Dover, at that time, printed mostly facsimiles of first editions. I would place the original printing anywhere between 1899 and 1930. Certainly Belloc lived long enough to enrage a lot of literary snobs when he declared P. G. Wodehouse to be the greatest living writer in the English language, but Wodehouse wrote (and lived) for so long that I can imagine Belloc saying what he said anywhere from about 1926 to 1939 or so (by which time Belloc would surely have been dead.)Anyway, the Dover edition had those great illustrations. I can't say I related to the supposedly funny poetry. Hazarding a guess, I'd say the Lemony Snicket books get certain inspiration from THE BAD CHILD'S BOOK OF BEASTS.For fans of Dover when Dover printed each paperback with the claim that "this is a permanent book" (because the books had string sewn into the binding, the way hardcovers used to have string sewn into the binding), I recommend getting on Abebooks.com and looking for a Dover edition. Reprint though it is, its probably become sought after. Dover called the string-in-the-binding "sewn signatures."Dover Books is still based in Garden City, New York, just a half hour from where I live. Apparently there is a fantastic bookstore within Dover's headquarters. Dover printed a lot of Trollope facsimiles. Now all they print are books of uncopyrighted clip art and glued-together classics which are not facsimiles. I'm sure they print a facsimile or two still, but Dover as I knew it is no more....more

'The Bad Child's Book of Beasts' is a charming little book of short poems about animals, with illustrations by Lord Blackwood (BTB).

It is Belloc's style which makes this book unique. It does remind one of Roald Dahl in fact, although 'The Bad Child's Book of Beasts' was written way back in 1896, exactly twenty years before Dahl was born. It is difficult to recommend it to parents nowadays, as its potential of edification (which I believe to be essential in children's literature) for children is'The Bad Child's Book of Beasts' is a charming little book of short poems about animals, with illustrations by Lord Blackwood (BTB).

It is Belloc's style which makes this book unique. It does remind one of Roald Dahl in fact, although 'The Bad Child's Book of Beasts' was written way back in 1896, exactly twenty years before Dahl was born. It is difficult to recommend it to parents nowadays, as its potential of edification (which I believe to be essential in children's literature) for children is marred. It is not the fact that it is politically incorrect as one reviewer pointed out, what can you expect in a book written in the nineteenth century? It is the case that I believe it has become redundant. It can still can be enjoyed, without a doubt, and thanks to its being easily available for free online, it remains a nice taste of Belloc as a writer for any discerning reader, young and adult.

Charming, even though it has become redundant as a piece of children's literature....more

Originally published in 1896, this zany children's book sold out its first edition within four days. The author, Hilaire Belloc, has fallen into obscurity, but in his day he was a well-known historian, biographer and novelist, as well as a friend of G.K. Chesterton. Belloc's verses are fun and imaginative; however, modern readers may object to a couple of unfortunate prejudicial statements ("the moral of this priceless work...will make you--from a little Turk--unnaturally good" (p.3), "The dromeOriginally published in 1896, this zany children's book sold out its first edition within four days. The author, Hilaire Belloc, has fallen into obscurity, but in his day he was a well-known historian, biographer and novelist, as well as a friend of G.K. Chesterton. Belloc's verses are fun and imaginative; however, modern readers may object to a couple of unfortunate prejudicial statements ("the moral of this priceless work...will make you--from a little Turk--unnaturally good" (p.3), "The dromedary is a cheerful bird; I cannot say the same about the Kurd" (p.16)). ...more

Gift from Grandpa to Ruairi in that great dry British style, including "More Beasts for Worse Children" and "A Moral Alphabet."

Such as the entry on D for Dinosaur telling the tale of the happy-go-lucky dino, whose downfall was that he liked to sleep in trees, with the resultant tumble the reason that "His fossil, therefore, comes to light / All broken up: and serve him right. Moral: If you were born to walk the ground, / Remain there; do not fool around." (p 110)

Or "E stands for Egg. Moral: TheGift from Grandpa to Ruairi in that great dry British style, including "More Beasts for Worse Children" and "A Moral Alphabet."

Such as the entry on D for Dinosaur telling the tale of the happy-go-lucky dino, whose downfall was that he liked to sleep in trees, with the resultant tumble the reason that "His fossil, therefore, comes to light / All broken up: and serve him right. Moral: If you were born to walk the ground, / Remain there; do not fool around." (p 110)

Or "E stands for Egg. Moral: The Moral of this verse / Is applicable to the Young. Be terse." (p 111)...more

This book contains a series of poems that are well written that describe the animals in our world. Children will find these tales not only catchy, but fun to listen to and repeat due to all the rhyming.

I found the tales to be entertaining and catchy – most made me grin. The illustrations accompanying this text are even more beautiful than the ones found in East O’ the Sun and West O’ the Moon. Not only are they realistic, but the attention to detail is astounding.

Before Dr. Seuss ever dreamed of cats in hats, Hillaire Belloc created his menagerie in verse. There is certainly a similarity between the two authors—their unexpected rhymes, their mildly iconoclastic attitude—though Belloc’s work is, perhaps, more openly artful. There is certainly no attempt to hide the sophistication of the writer.

Alas, the art that originally accompanied the poems had no similar Seussian verve. Still, this very short book is a delight to read.

This never fails to make me smile. Before Ogden Nash, there was the divine Mr. Belloc.The Dodo used to walk about, and take the sun and air,The sun still warms his native land yet the dodo is not there.The voice that used to squawk and squeak is now forever dumb,But you may see his bones and beak all in the Mus-e-um.

We were reading this book tonight at bedtime when my 8 year old daughter exclaimed, "This is the same as the song I'm singing with the San Francisco Girls Chorus!" She ran straight away to her chorus folder and brought back "Anamalia - Candy Lion, Frog, Turtle Tango" by Earl J. Reisdorff. The frog is identical to the last chapter in this book, originally written in 1896! Quite reinforcing!

This was a gift from my grandmother on my 6th birthday. Every year she took me to the bookstore and let me pick out my present. I'm not sure if this book is responsible for my love of monsters, or if that's why I chose it in the first place, but it holds a very special place in my heart.

Joseph Hilaire Pierre René Belloc was an Anglo-French writer and historian who became a naturalised British subject in 1902. He was one of the most prolific writers in England during the early twentieth century. He was known as a writer, orator, poet, satirist, man of letters, and political activist. He is most notable for his Catholic faith, which had a strong impact on most of his works and hisJoseph Hilaire Pierre René Belloc was an Anglo-French writer and historian who became a naturalised British subject in 1902. He was one of the most prolific writers in England during the early twentieth century. He was known as a writer, orator, poet, satirist, man of letters, and political activist. He is most notable for his Catholic faith, which had a strong impact on most of his works and his writing collaboration with G.K. Chesterton.

He was President of the Oxford Union and later MP for Salford from 1906 to 1910. He was a noted disputant, with a number of long-running feuds, but also widely regarded as a humane and sympathetic man....more